One major influence over our health is something that is often overlooked. I’m referring to the amount of toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis. This is called our “toxic load”. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Human Monitoring Program studied human exposure to toxic substances. The EPA Agency studies concluded that all humans have chemicals (toxins) stored in the adipose (fat) tissue. Chemicals such as, PCBs, xylene, styrene, dioxins and pesticides were found, as well as many others.
The bottom line is this: we are all carrying toxins in our bodies, and these toxins are dangerous. Most people simply aren’t informed about the toxins they are exposed to and why they are bad. So, I want to give you a little information that will help you decrease your toxic load.
But first, why is this even important? According to the National Cancer Institute’s 2005 – 2007 survey, there is a 40.77 percent lifetime risk of being diagnosed with cancer. The lifetime risk of being diagnosed with cancer in the 1975 – 1977 survey was about 33 percent. Cancer is one of the 3 leading causes of death in America. So, it’s important that you do whatever you can to help swing the percentages more toward your favor.
Toxins cause a wide array of problems in addition to cancer. Chemical compounds found in your food, air and water build up in your body. The accumulation of these compounds can lead to a wide variety of metabolic dysfunctions. It can even cause outright disease states.
The body systems that are most commonly affected by these toxic compounds are the immune system, the neurological system and the endocrine system. Some examples of disease states associated with toxicity include: immune dysfunction, autoimmunity, asthma, allergies, cancer, mental deficit, mood changes, neurological disease, libido/sexual problems, reproductive dysfunction and blood sugar irregularities.
The toxins in your body come from a wide variety of sources. These sources include environmental exposure such as: the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, and medications. Internal (or “endogenous”) sources include: the products produced by digestion, energy metabolism, tissue regeneration, end products from the metabolism of hormones, bacterial by-products and other complex molecules.
So, what can you do to help decrease your toxic load, and improve your body’s ability to detoxify?
First, I think it will be beneficial to identify some sources of toxins. These would include:
1. Infectious organisms – bacteria, viruses, yeast, parasites
2. Allergens - food, mold, dust, pollen
3. Medications
4. Heavy metals – lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, aluminum
5. Metabolic by-products - nitrogen, bile, urea, ammonium, bacteria by-products
6. Anti-nutrients – high fructose corn syrup, trans-fatty acids, alcohol, processed foods
7. Stress – toxic emotions
8. Water, air, and other environmental sources
As you can see, it is easy for us to be exposed to toxins without even realizing it. Fortunately, we do have mechanisms within our body to combat toxicity. The major systems for detoxification within our body include the liver and gallbladder, kidneys, GI system, skin, lungs, lymphatic system and the circulatory system. It is important to support these systems and to keep the body healthy so that these systems can do their job. The functions of these systems are used to prevent toxin entry and to modify toxins for removal. Proper nutrition plays a key role in the management of toxins. Patients with nutrient deficiencies have reduced toxicant clearance. Dietary habits also influence the detoxification. For example, low protein diets will decrease clearance of toxicants.
My goal for this article is to give you some basic steps to reduce your toxic load. This is basically done through nutrition and through some general housekeeping tips. I will discuss nutrition later, but today, I want to give you some tips that you can implement immediately to help reduce your toxic exposure.
Steps to Reduce Toxic Exposure and Load:
1. Do not wear shoes indoors. You will track external toxins into your house from your shoes. Check them at the door.
2. Replace the furnace filters every 6 weeks with a high quality pleated filter rated at MERV 7-9 (The higher the MERV-minimum efficiency reporting value- rating, the fewer dust particles and other airborne contaminants can pass through)Most hospitals use a 9-10.
3. Have dry-cleaning air out in the garage or car trunk for a week before bringing it into the house
4. Do not smoke indoors. (How about not smoking at all? Really, people.)
5. Consider replacing carpet with tile or stone flooring
6. Use non-scented laundry detergent and fabric softener
7. Consider using an air purifier system. Make sure that the system is able to clean the entire air room every 20 to 30 minute. (You will need to know the cubic feet of the area you are filtering and match it to the units capacity- cubic feet is length time width time height)
8. Consider using a home water filtration system – (Ionizer Plus Water Electrolyer can clean the water as well as alkalize it.)
9. Avoid toxic exposure present in foods (visit www.foodnews.org for more info)
10. Use organic for all dairy consumption (especially butter)
11. Do not eat any farm raised or Atlantic salmon. Freely eat Alaskan wild caught salmon
12. Avoid the fish with the highest mercury content: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tuna, orange roughy, marlin, Chilean bass, lobster, halibut and snapper,
13. Freely eat the fish with the lower mercury content: clams, ocean perch, Alaskan salmon, flounder, sole and catfish
Basic methods to help increase your body’s ability to detoxify:
1. Exercise, sauna, and massage - Increases circulation
2. Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, rutabaga, turnips, bok choy, arugala, horse radish, wasabi, watercress (caution: if you are hypothyroid, remember that cruciferous vegetables are goiterogenic)
3. Stay hydrated. You need to drink at least 2 liters of filtered water per day.
4. Eat fiber to stay regular. The recommended daily intake is 30-35 grams per day
I hope you found this article useful and will implement some steps to reduce your toxic load and to improve your health. If you have any questions, you can contact me through www.boggschiro.com.
Dr. Daniel A. Boggs
Chiropractic Physician
Certified Acupuncturist
Functional Medicine
